SCiB are also safer and will not explode when crushed, as lithium batteries may, Toshiba said. This is because SCiB batteries use a material with a higher level of thermal stability and are designed with safeguards against short circuits or overheating.

SCiB batteries can endure 5,000 to 6,000 recharge cycles, compared to around 500 cycles for standard lithium-ion batteries, according to a Toshiba executive manning the company's booth at Ceatec.

At the show, Toshiba showed a prototype SCiB battery installed in a Dynabook laptop. The laptop was matched against a similar machine with a lithium-ion battery in a demonstration of the SCiB's rapid charging capability.

SCiB batteries were introduced last year, with the first versions designed for industrial applications. The batteries will also find their way into a Cannondale electric bicycle, the Schwinn Tailwind, that will go on sale in Europe and the US next year.